Unplayable conditions postpone D-backs' game

No makeup date announced; clubs will play just one contest Thursday

ARLINGTON -- Inclement weather that included heavy rainfall and violent winds at the Ballpark in Arlington caused Wednesday's game between the Rangers and D-backs to be postponed.

A thunderstorm swept through the field about two hours before the game was scheduled to start. The grounds crew fought the wind and rain to put the tarp on the field, but it was determined at about 7 p.m. MST that the field would be unplayable.

"The field took a ton of water," manager Kirk Gibson said. "They wanted to play a game tonight and we didn't want to play a doubleheader. It was just dangerous. It was really muddy on the baselines. Part of the field was OK. Realistically, the groundskeeper said that they need to get some spikes in it and let it air out so it's playable."

Brandon McCarthy, who was scheduled to start Wednesday, will start Thursday's game against the Rangers. The rest of the D-backs' rotation will be pushed back one day. Wednesday's game will be made up on a mutual off-day that has yet to be determined.

"It's not a big deal. You start to get started, but it's not a huge issue," McCarthy said. "I was on the same page everyone else was. Everybody had said it was going to happen. It was just a matter of when."

Justin Grimm, who was also set to pitch Wednesday night, will start Thursday for the Rangers. This was the first postponement at the Ballpark in Arlington this season. It marks the second straight day without a game for the Rangers and D-backs, who swept the Rangers in a doubleheader in Arizona on Monday.

"The third-base area and the third-base line were certainly too soft," Washington said. "The first-base line is too soft, too. Nobody wants to lose an off-day and nobody wants to play a doubleheader, but ... you don't want to hurt anybody."

Christian Corona is a contributor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.